Work crews begin digging through Genesee Towers rubble

FLINT, MI -- Work crews have not yet started removing material from the Genesee
Towers demolition site but have been assessing the debris pile by
sorting through the rubble, says Dave Lurvey, project manager for the demolition.

They're "starting to shake out the steel pieces," Lurvey said.

The majority of work is yet to come, he added. Cleanup is expected to take several months, after which an urban park called Exploration Park is planned to go in its place.

Genesee Towers spent its entire 45 years as Flint's tallest building, though in the last decade it had fallen into vacancy and disrepair. The building built in the late '60s was the tallest in Flint, a hulking presence in a city enjoying a thriving auto industry.

The building was imploded on Dec. 22, 2013, in front of thousands who gathered downtown to watch the event outside safety barriers.